The unmistakeable political edge attached to the USA and Canada’s blockbuster ice hockey final

The USA will meet bitter rivals Canada in a men’s hockey final for the first time since 2014 SportWinter OlympicsThe unmistakeable political edge attached to the USA and Canada’s blockbuster ice hockey finalThe USA will meet bitter rivals Canada in a men’s hockey final for the first time since 2014James Toney in Milan Saturday 21 February 2026 08:40 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverWinter Olympics curling controversy explainedYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. 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We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreIt is hard to know what hockey-mad Canadians would find less palatable — Donald Trump following through on his rhetoric about annexing their country or losing this weekend’s Olympic men’s hockey final to the United States.Losing your country or losing a game shouldn't really be a choice but this is Canada, where hockey is the cultural cornerstone.The sport has long provided an athletic outlet for political tension: the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union and the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Winter Olympics remain prime examples.These two teams of NHL team-mates know there is more than gold on the line in Milan before they jet back across the Atlantic to resume their seasons.When it comes to hockey, these neighbours are anything but neighbourly — and this is the final neutrals have longed for, a Sunday showdown to bring the Games to a fitting close.RecommendedHow Team GB can complete a curling heist to extend Winter Olympics traditionEve Muirhead hopes ‘Super Saturday’ can seal Team GB’s best ever Winter OlympicsNorway break Winter Olympics gold medal record after perfect shooting performance in biathlonSport brings people together, the International Olympic Committee loves to say. They'll love the ratings this encounter will score, if not quite the sentiment.It will be the eighth time they have clashed for men’s Olympic gold, but the first since 2014, when NHL players last competed.Trump’s comments about Canada — posting memes about his desire to make it the 51st state and referring to its former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, as a “governor” — lend an unmistakable political edge.When the sides met at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, it came at the height of a tariff spat between the countries. The United States won in Montreal, but Canada responded in Boston to claim the overall tournament. One contest was only seconds old before a fight ensued; both anthems were loudly jeered and the atmosphere turned sour.After the final victory, Trudeau posted: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”open image in galleryThere is an unmistakeable political edge to this clash (Getty Images)While some American athletes at these Games have voiced unease about the political climate at home, the hockey players have embraced the moment.Conservative commentators have embraced them as “America’s real team”. The USA’s overtime win over Canada in Thursday’s women’s final briefly trended across pro-Trump social media.There have been well-sourced reports that Trump could make a flying visit if the US made the final, though Canadian prime minister Mark Carney is not expected to attend.“We’re the best country in the world,” said Matthew Tkachuk. “The greatest honour in the world is wearing this red, white and blue. To do that in an Olympic final, there is nothing better.”The United States swatted aside Slovakia 6-2 in their semi-final in a dominant display that makes them narrow favourites for gold. In contrast, Canada were pushed hard by Finland before progressing 3–2.open image in galleryThe USA breezed past Slovakia to reach the final (Getty Images)open image in galleryCanada needed late heroics against Finland to book their place in the gold medal match (AP)One Maple Leaf clad fan, leaving the Milano Santaguila, sort of summed it up.“I'd rather we lost here than lost to them,” he said.In Canada, hockey is not a sport so much as a civic rite, deeply ingrained in the national identity, but supporters have had their faith tested at these Games.After a dramatic overtime winner against Czechia in the quarter-finals, they stormed back from two goals down in the semi-final. With 35